For years now, Virgin Mobile has built a solid following by offering no-contract smartphone plans for people who don’t want to buy a subsidized phone. Now, Virgin Mobile is making the assumption that a number of consumers do not want to pay for data packages.

Virgin Mobile has released a new smartphone plan that costs only $20 per month and comes with no data. This means that customers on this plan must rely on accessing the internet with Wi-Fi. The $20 plan includes 300 minutes of talk time and unlimited text messaging.

If you want to have a small amount of data, you can pay $35 per month for a plan with unlimited data, talk and text, and 250 MB of 3G/4G data. Virgin Mobile is also allowed a $35 plan that includes 300 minutes of talk time, unlimited texting and 2.5GB of data.

Virgin Mobile also has $45 and $55 plans which include unlimited text and talk, with unlimited international texting and 100 international minutes. The $45 plan gives users 1GB of data while the $55 plan includes 3GB of data each month. All data plans are throttled after the customer uses the amount of data in their monthly plan.

Those traveling to abroad can add a $5 monthly add-on which includes unlimited voice minutes to Canada and Mexico. For $10 a month, a customer can have 1,000 minutes to call more than 200 countries.

It is clear from these moves that Virgin Mobile is aiming towards T-Mobile in their quest to retake the title of the #1 prepaid carrier. T-Mobile customers must buy data plans that include 500MB for $40 a month while Verizon customers must buy a data package which includes 250MB for $55.

Source: UPI, CNET;]]>http://www.androidauthority.com/virgin-mobile-offers-20-smartphone-plan-data-534296/feed/25The best prepaid and no contract plans in the US of 2014 (Updated May 2014)http://www.androidauthority.com/best-prepaid-plans-2014-132352/
http://www.androidauthority.com/best-prepaid-plans-2014-132352/#commentsSun, 18 May 2014 12:30:01 +0000http://www.androidauthority.com/?p=132352
When we first started this list in 2012, things were starting to get exciting. We were seeing processors with more cores, screens in true HD, and things were starting to get really exciting for Android. It’s now 2014 and we’re seeing a culmination of those efforts. Quad core devices that are focusing on power and energy efficiency, 1080p HD screens and beyond, and even wearables! However, at the back of it all is the same problem that there’s always been: finding a decent mobile carrier. In this list we’ll take a look at the top prepaid and no contract plans in the United States currently available.

Verizon Wireless Prepaid Plans

First on our list is the popular Verizon Wireless. They’re much more known for their contract plans, but they actually also do prepaid plans. Prepaid plans feature the same features as their contract plans, including their 4G data.

Plan Details:

Verizon now offers the AllSet plan which is a flat rate plan for prepaid. With it you pay $45 per month, have unlimited talk and text, and 500MB of data.

They allow you to add more data if you prefer. You can add 500MB for $5, 1GB for $10, or 3GB for $20. 500MB expires after 30 days, 1GB and 3GB expires after 90 days.

PROS

Verizon's tried and true network is one of the most comprehensive in the United States.

Their 4G is top notch. Very few people complain about LTE speeds on Verizon.

New plans are cheaper than expected.

You can add up to 2 packages of data at a time which is nice if you have a busy month online.

Verizon carries almost all top tier devices.

CONS

Data is not unlimited.

Data is also a little expensive, even in this price range.

Top teir phones go for full price and most unlocked phones do not work on Verizon's service

7.0

If Verizon Wireless looks like something you’d like to try, check out their official website for more details.

AT&T Prepaid Plans

AT&T hasn’t been really known for their prepaid plans and are much more known for their contract plans. As a “big 4″ designee, AT&T has one of the largest networks in the United States and they have also recently simplified and revamped their prepaid strategy.

Plan details:

AT&T now has 3 tiered prepaid smartphone plans. For $25 per month, you get 250 minutes, unlimited messaging (includes picture, video, and text), and no data. For $40 you get 500 minutes, unlimited messaging, and 500MB of data. For $60 you unlimited talk and text with 2.5GB of data.

Like Verizon you can add data packages to extend that. You can get 50MB for $5, 100MB for $5 (yes, same price for some reason), and 1GB for $10. They also have text messaging packages, although frankly all of their prepaid plans have unlimited messaging so I’m unsure why this option exists.

They also have a pay-as-you-go service. It is $0.20 per text message sent/received, $0.25 for picture messages, $0.25 for international texting ($0.20 if you receive an international text), $0.50 for international picture and video texts ($0.25 if you receive an international picture or video text), and $0.01 per 5KB of data. Voice calls go for $0.10 per minute.

PROS

AT&T has one of the best coverage areas in the United States.

AT&T LTE is reliable.

AT&T recently changed their plans and they're a lot more reasonable than they used to be.

Three prepaid options and a pay-as-you-go option. None of them are complicated anymore.

AT&T offers top tier smartphones and most unlocked or international phones at least partially work on AT&T

CONS

No unlimited data.

Not a lot of options for adding more data.

Pay as you go data can add up very quickly. I recommend not using that.

Sprint Prepaid Plans

We’re not entirely sure what Sprint is thinking these days. The Framily Plan sounds like something the Munsters would use and they haven’t been paying all that much attention to their prepaid. What they do have isn’t bad, though

Plan details:

For smatphones, you can get unlimited talk, text, and data for $60 per month. For $45 per month, you can get unlimited talk and text with no data included

PROS

Really simple options make it impossible to get confused.

$60 for unlimited everything is a good deal.

They have one of the largest coverage maps in the United States (for talk and text).

Unlimited data includes LTE and WiMAX where available.

CONS

LTE and WiMAX are not available in as many places as they should be.

Phone selection is limited to Sprint's prepaid lineup and their star flagship is a certified pre-owned iPhone 4S.

You cannot bring your own phone or use an existing Sprint phone. You have to use the prepaid lineup. That's very lame.

6.0

If Sprint’s prepaid service is up your alley, you can find more details at their official website.

T-Mobile Prepaid Plans

T-Mobile has been the most exciting carrier to watch over the last year. Their uncarrier model along with the charismatic nature of their CEO John Legere has caused an untold number of eye brow raises. Their prepaid plans are simple because all of them are prepaid. That’s pretty nifty.

Plan details:

T-Mobile offers 4 tiered prices. In all tiers you get unlimited talk and text. For $40 you get 500MB of high speed data, $50 you also get 1GB of high speed data, for $60 you get 3GB of high speed data, for $70 you get 5GB of high speed data, and for $80 you get unlimited data. In all plans, data is unlimited but you after you use your allotted amount, you are throttled to 2G speeds until the next month. All plans also include international texting. It should also be noted the unlimited data plan ($80) also includes 5GB of Hotspot data to use at your convenience.

For an additional $15 per month you can add International calling. This is not available for the $40 plan.

PROS

Unlimited data on all plans is a win.

Their phone selection is top notch and you can pay it off over 2 years instead of paying all of it up front. It is entirely separate of your phone bill.

Unlimited international texting included.

Fairly stable and fast LTE and HSPA+ isn't terrible either.

Unlocked phones typically work on T-Mobile.

Far more (and usually better) options than the competition

JUMP lets you upgrade your device multiple times a year instead of waiting 2 years or forking out full price of a phone.

CONS

T-Mobile's plans are starting to get a little pricy.

If you spend a lot of time outside major populated areas, your coverage may not be so great.

Their pay-as-you-go plans are pretty bad. So bad we didn't list them.

8.0

For more details on their prepaid and monthly plans, check out their website.

Boost Mobile Prepaid Plans

Boost is the first MVNO on our list. MVNOs are companies that have their own name and brand but their service is piggybacked on the network of a larger company. In this case, Boost uses Sprint’s network. It’s a fairly well known prepaid carrier and fairly popular.

Plan details:

Boost has three main plans. On all three plans you get unlimited talk text and data. However, on $40/month you get throttled after 500MB, $50/month gets you 2.5GB before being throttled, and $60/month puts you at 5GB before being throttled.

Boost also offers daily prepaid plans. You can pay $3/day and get unlimited voice, text, and data.

Boost also has the Shrinking Payments feature. For smartphones, you can do the $55/month plan (unlimited talk, text, and data with 2.5GB of high speed data) and after 18 months your payments drop to $40/month. This is the only Shrinking Payments feature for general smartphones.

PROS

As long as we've been doing this list, we've been a fan of Shrinking Payments.

Most of these plans are actually better than Sprint despite being on the same network.

Above average phone selection including the Moto G, Galaxy S5, and iPhone 5S.

Sprint's talk and text coverage is above average.

Competitive pricing.

CONS

Much like Sprint, the LTE/WiMAX is lacking.

Would be nice to see flagships other than Samsung and Apple.

Shrinking Payment plans are confusing and are lumped in with Blackberry-specific and feature-phone specific pricing.

7.5

If Boost Mobile looks like your kind of carrier, check out their official website.

Republic Wireless prepaid

Republic Wireless used to be one of the most simple companies on this list. However, over the last year they have gotten new phones in and have extended their plans. Their phone selections now include the Moto X and the Moto G but their plans remain fairly simple. Republic Wireless is an MVNO and they piggyback off of Sprint’s service. Their claim to fame is asking their customers to remain on WiFi as often as possible but in return they allow unlimited data when people aren’t near a WiFi hotspot.

Plan details:

For $5 per month you get service over WiFi only. This is a funny plan because of how unusual it is. Essentially, you use WiFi to call, text, and use data on your smartphone. If you’re not near WiFi, your phone doesn’t work. Great for people who spend a lot of time at home.

For $10 per month you get everything from the $5 plan plus unlimited talk and text over a cellular network. For $25 you get all of the above plus unlimited 3G data. For $40 per month you get all of the above plus unlimited 4G data. It’s worth noting that the $40 plan is useless if you buy a Moto G. If you’re going for $40/month, you may as well buy the Moto

PROS

Super cheap plans.

Moto X and Moto G are decent options.

Sprint's talk and text service is fairly good.

The WiFi/service hybrid model is very unique.

Unlimited talk, text, and data on all plans that have those options.

You can change your plan up to twice a month. So if you need more service, you can get it and then go back to your cheaper service once you're done.

CONS

Sprint's 4G data service is pretty bad.

The Moto X and G are excellent devices, but if you don't like them you're out of luck.

If you don't spend a decent amount of time around WiFi, this is probably not a good choice for you.

Straight Talk Wireless prepaid

Straight Talk is one of the original MVNOs to set their prices to dramatically undercut the “big 4″ carriers and thus helped facilitate a change in how mobile service is priced. Since then they have undergone a lot of changes. They are an MVNO and actually piggyback off of both T-Mobile and AT&T based on what phone you bring with you. They also give you the ability to buy a network access code for Sprint, so it’s probably a safe bet that they use Sprint’s network too. They may also use Verizon towers, but currently they do not support Verizon devices.

Plan details:

Straight talk offers three basic plans. For $30/month you can get 1500 minutes, unlimited messaging, and 100MB of data. $45 earns you unlimited voice and messaging and unlimited data (throttled after 3GB). $60 gets you essentially the same thing but we assume with more data before you get throttled. From there you can also purchase your plan for 3, 6, and 12 months for $130, $255, and $495 respectively. This means you can fork out $495 all at once and not have a phone bill again until 365 days later.

PROS

Competitive rates.

Unlimited data.

You can bring your own phone from T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint.

It supports 3 different kinds of LTE (T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint)

The option to pay in full for a full year is awesome.

You can add international for $10 per month.

Most unlocked, international phones work on Straight Talk.

CONS

Their website is a hot mess.

They have the latest iPhones but otherwise their phone selection is bogus.

Their $45/month plan used to be completely unlimited. It's a shame to see a throttle cap now.

No discernible difference between the $45 and $60 plan aside from a little more data.

Net10 Wireless Prepaid

Net10 is about as old school as it comes with prepaid services. Net10 is a subsidiary of TracFone, which is why we won’t be mentioning TracFone. They’re pretty much identical services available in the same places. That means that Net10 is an MVNO that piggybacks off of all four major US carriers. Enjoy that coverage map.

Plan details:

Everything at Net10 depends on minutes. When you send messages, it actually uses your minutes. So what you do with Net10 is buy a bunch of minutes and consume until your minutes are gone. You can get 200 minutes for $15 and 500 minutes for $30. When you use this option, you have no data available.

Net10 also has monthly plans. Unfortunately their Terms of Service and their website lists two entirely different sets of pricing so we’ll go with the ToC. For $35/month you get unlimited talk and text with no data. For $40 you get all of the above plus unlimited data but you’re throttled after 500MB. For $50 the data cap becomes 2.5GB. For $60, the cap raises to 3.5GB. For $65, the cap goes back down to 2.5GB but it includes international calling and texting (unlimited). For $75, you get 5GB of high speed data before you get throttled.

For $170, you get 2.5GB of high speed data and unlimited talk and text for 4 lines. $130 is the same deal for 3 lines. $90 is the same deal for 2 lines.

PROS

Despite the screwy verbiage, you can essentially get unlimited (albeit throttled) data starting as low as $40/month.

The $50/month plan is essentially on par with everyone else in tes and pricerms of servicing.

Piggybacks off of all 4 major carriers, so service is about as stable as you can get.

An ever-going web exclusive can get you $5 off of the $50 and $65 plans.

It does offer 4G data.

CONS

You have to read their Terms of Service to see all of the rate plans and data limits.

Their phone selection is less than mediocre.

Despite using the nation's best networks, you can only bring your own AT&T and T-Mobile phone.

6.5

If you want to take a closer look at Net10 prepaid, check out their website.

Page Plus Prepaid

Page Plus is an MVNO that is powered by the Verizon network. It’s pretty under the radar in that it doesn’t really make a big splash anywhere. They do have some pretty decent offers.

Plan details:

PagePlus has five big plans. For $12/month you get 250 minutes, 250 texts, and 10MB of data. For $29.95 you get 1200 minutes, 3000 texts, and 500MB of data. For $39.95, $55, and $69.95, you get unlimited talk and text along with 1GB, 3GB, and 5GB of data, respectively.

PROS

Verizon's call and text network is one of the most reliable out there.

At the highest price point, you get more data from PagePlus than you would from Verizon for the same cost.

You can bring your Verizon phone with you under certain conditions.

CONS

You can only activate some Verizon phones (those with MEIDs that do not start with 990000).

No 4G LTE.

Their phone selection is pretty bad.

6.0

If this sounds like a service you would like to have, you can find more info on their website.

PlatinumTel Wireless

Midway through last year, PlatinumTel transitioned from a CDMA network to T-Mobile’s GSM network. They then proceeded to undergo a huge change in their plan pricing and policies.

Plan details

PlatinumTel has three main plans. For $35/month you get unlimited everything including data. However, high speed data is not included so you’ll be throttled 100% of the time. For $40/month you get unlimited everything plus 250MB of high speed data. For $50/month you get unlimited everything plus 2GB of high speed data.

They also do a daily unlimited plan for $1.50 per day but that is the only plan that incurs data overages so be careful.

They do a pay-as-you-go line too that costs $0.05 per minute, $0.02 per text, $0.10 per MB of data, $0.02 for unlimited texts, and $0.02 for MMS.

Ready Mobile PCS Prepaid

Ready Mobile PCS is another prepaid service that isn’t the most well known out there. They operate on Sprint’s service so customers will be able to enjoy nationwide service. Their plans are among the more conservative on the list. Ready Mobile PCS is definitely for people who don’t really use their phones very often. At least not for data.

Plan details:

For calling and texting, customers have two big options. You can get 500 to 1000 minutes with 1000 to 1200 text messages for $20 to $30 per month. This now includes 20MB of data.

There is an unlimited voice and text option for $50 a month. Alternatively, you can get 3 and 7 day plans for $9.99 and $14.99 respectively. Once again, no data.

The last is called $.05 minutes where you can get 500 minutes for $25 or 900 minutes for $45. It comes with 50 to 100 texts respectively and costs $.10 per text afterward.

All of the above can be augmented with a data plan. 300MB runs you a whopping $25, with 1GB for $45 and 2GB for $75.

They now also have night and weekend minutes. They start at 30 minutes for $10 and go up to $150 for 1250 minutes. No texts or data. Yes, it’s a giant rip off.

PROS

If you don't need unlimited calling or texting, their rates aren't bad.

Sprint's coverage means you get calls whenever they do.

Their most expensive phone is $69.99

CONS

$75 for 2GB of data makes even Verizon customers blanch.

$150 for 1250 night and weekend minutes makes me both want to laugh and cry.

Their phone selection is very poor.

$50 for unlimited talk and text with no data doesn't compete with anyone.

2.0

If you feel like being robbed, head to Ready Mobile’s official website.

Consumer Cellular Prepaid

Much like Ready Mobile PCS, Consumer Cellular does their prepaid plans in modules. There are minute plans and a separate messaging and data package added on. It runs on AT&T’s network, so customers will still enjoy nationwide calling, text, and 3G data. For now, there isn’t 4G data on Consumer Cellular. Unlike most of the other plans on the list, there is actually no unlimited plans on this carrier.

Plan details:

The minutes plans are simple to understand. Customers start out at $10 just for service and 0 minutes, charging $.25 per minute. At maximum, you can pay $60 for 6,000 minutes and $.10 minutes after that. There $15, $20, $30, $40, and $50 options as well that provide 200, 600, 1200, 2500, and 4000 minutes respectively.

The data and messaging minutes that have fewer options. You can spend as low as $2.50 for 200 messages and 20MB of data. There are $5, $10, $20, and $30 options as well. At $30 you get 2.5GB of data and 15,000 messages.

PROS

If you don't use minutes you can get 200 minutes, 15,000 texts, and 2.5GB of data for $45. Not great but not terrible.

AT&T service means a pretty good network for calls and texts.

Carries some known phones like the Moto G and the latest iPhones.

Recently increased their services for no extra charge. We like that.

Keeping voice, text, and data as separate modules lets people cusotmize their plans.

CONS

If you max out everything it's 6000 minutes, 15,000 texts, and 2.5GB of data for $90/month. That's not inspiring.

The Moto G is their best Android phone. The Moto G is good, but it should never be the best a company has to offer.

No unlimited anything. Ever.

AT&T actually has better deals. Let that sink in.

We couldn't find evidence anywhere that they allow 4G data

5.0

If this looks like your prepaid solution, check out Consumer Cellular’s website.

H2O Wireless Prepaid

H2O Wireless prepaid is next on the list and it is another prepaid service that uses AT&T’s towers. So if you’ve seen an AT&T coverage map, you’ve seen a H2O Wireless coverage map. When it comes to their prepaid service, they’re pretty simple. They have also revamped their offerings recently.

Plan details

They have 4 main plans. $30/month nets you 500MB of data as well as unlimited talk, text and MMS. $40/month bumps up your data to 1GB, $50/month increases it to 2GB, and $60/month boasts unlimited data.

They have a unique pay-as-you-go scheme where you pay for plan features instead of individual features. So for $10 you get 200 minutes or text messages as well as 100MB of data or MMS. The max, $100, gets you 2000 minutes or texts along with 1GB or 1000MMS. The range lasts from 90 days on the $10 purchase to 1 year on the $100 purchase.

PROS

The plans are fairly reasonable. $60 for unlimited data is way better than many on this list.

Kajeet prepaid

Kajeet is unique because this is a service plan designed specifically for kids and teenagers. It’s an MVNO that works on Sprint’s network and one of their defining features is the full ability to bring a Sprint phone to the service which is something pretty much every other Sprint MVNO lacks. It also features parental controls on all plans and all devices. They’ve also changed their pricing structure recently to make it plan based instead of module based.

Plan details

For $4.99 a month you get $0.10 text messaging, $0.25 MMS, $0.99 GPS locate, 10 voice minutes, and $1.00 per MB of data. This is recommended for very young kids.

For $14.99 you get all of the above except you get 60 minutes and unlimited texting. $19.99 adds unlimited picture messaging and you get 150 minutes. $24.99 gives you unlimited GPS phone locator and 500 minutes along with 500MB of data. $34.99 gives you 1000 anytime minutes and 1GB of data. $49.99 gets you unlimited everything except you get 2GB of data.

According to the website, the $24.99 and up options are limited time plans. Of course, Net10 has had the same “temporary web specials” up for 18 months now so we’ll let you know how that goes.

PROS

Great service for kids. The GPS phone locator and parental controls are unique to Kajeet.

Their phones are last year's Sprint flagships and you can bring your own. That's an above average selection.

Sprint text and voice service isn't bad.

The more expensive plans are fairly reasonable.

Additional add ons like call blocking, etc can be added. This includes more data.

CONS

The people at Kajeet obviously do not have teenagers. 2GB of data is probably not enough for kids.

Parental controls and GPS phone locator will probably anger your child as they get older.

Red Pocket Mobile Prepaid

Next on our list is Red Pocket Mobile. This MVNO supports both GSM and CDMA networks via AT&T and Sprint and is one of the few MVNOs to support both CDMA and GSM.

Plan details:

For GSM, there are three plans available. For $29.99 you get unlimited talk and text with 100MB of mobile data and free international calling. $39.99/month gets you all of the above with 500MB and free international texting. Finally, the $59.99 plan includes unlimited everything and 3GB of data. Data is unlimited, by the way, but it throttles after the aforementioned amounts.

For CDMA, you can get $29.99/month for unlimited call and text with 100MB of mobile web. For $49.99 you can get unlimited everything but you get throttled to 3G if you go over 2.5GB of data usage.

Red Pocket is one of the few carriers on this list with a data-only option. $10/month gets you 1GB. $30 gets you unlimited data but it’s throttled after 3GB. $50 gets you unlimited but throttled after 5GB

PROS

One of the few carriers to support CDMA and GSM.

The $49.99 CDMA plan is surprisingly reasonable.

One of the few carriers out there to throttle to 3G instead of 2G. We love that.

The $30/month data-only option is great for tablets.

You can bring your own GSM, unlocked, international, or Sprint phone.

GSM rates are not terrible.

CONS

Phone selection isn't great. Their flagship is the Galaxy S3

Would've been nice to see the CDMA rates apply for GSM.

Would've been nice to see more CDMA options.

7.0

If you’re looking for a decent option and don’t care about the data, check out their website.

SIMple Mobile Prepaid

SIMple Mobile has also undergone a lot of changes since the last time we updated this list. They’re still an MVNO using T-Mobile’s network. They’re still a pretty decent option and they still market to the edgy, cool crowd but their rates are wildly different than they used to be. There are also more of them.

Plan details:

Their unlimited plans start at $25 for unlimited talk, text, and international text. At $40 you get the same plus 1GB of data. At $50 you get the same but with 3GB of data. At $60 you get the same but with 5GB of data. Data is unlimited but you get throttled after the data limit. Yes, it’s LTE.

Add $10 to any of those and you’ll get unlimited international calling.

SIMple Mobile now does broadband plans. You pay $25 for 750MB and $45 for 2GB. If you use all of that up, you have to buy more. No unlimited, throttled data.

PROS

Pretty good pricing.

Unlimited data.

LTE available.

Bring your own T-Mobile, unlocked, or international phone.

Interesting assortment of phones from brands like BLU. Not saying they're great phones but it's definitely interesting.

Easy to add and remove international calling.

CONS

Their phone selection is interesting which is good, but the selection isn't that great.

Total Call Mobile Prepaid

Total Call Mobile is a prepaid service that runs off of Sprint’s network. It’s a little more old school as these things go because they’re still focused around card refills as opposed to prepaid plans.

Plan details:

Okay these are actually cards that you buy but they refer to them as “plans” anyway. The first “plan” is called Anytime plan and it comes with $0.10 per domestic minute, $0.05 per text and that’s it. You load a card up and use it til it’s gone. You also use these for international calls and texts as international services are not included on other “plans”.

Next up is the 1000 Talk & 1000 Text. It’s a $29.99 card that expires after 30 days. As the title states, you get 1000 texts and 1000 minutes.

For $39.99 you can get the unlimited talk and text card. Take a guess what you get with that one.

For $49.99 per month you can get the unlimited talk, text, and data card.

PROS

Truly unlimited data.

Reasonable prices for unlimited everything.

International calling is optional but inexpensive. Check the international rates before using.

Sprint's voice and text services aren't bad.

In terms of a pay-as-you-go service, their rates are competitive.

CONS

No 4G at all.

The phone shopping section of the Total Call site is totally blank. That's probably better than what I would've found there if it'd loaded properly.

The only 'plan' worth your time is the unlimited everything. You can find better deals for everything else.

Virgin Mobile Prepaid

Virgin Mobile is a CDMA prepaid service that runs on the Sprint network. Much like Boost Mobile, customers will get Sprint’s nationwide calling, text, 3G, and 4G WiMAX. While it isn’t Sprint’s LTE coverage, even WiMAX is better than just 3G. Virgin Mobile keeps it simple and actually doesn’t offer any contract plans. So no matter which one you choose, there is no obligation.

There are 3 plans that Virgin Mobile promotes the most and they’re pretty simple.

The first is for $35 and it includes 300 anytime minutes, unlimited texts, and unlimited 3G and 4G data. The data is much like other deals on the list. You get 2.5GB of unlimited data at max speed, then unlimited at a reduced speed. The second is $45 and it’s the same as the $35 plan except you get 1200 total anytime minutes. Finally, the $55 plan is unlimited everything. Clean and simple.

Virgin Mobile also has a new payLo talk and text plan. These are for people who don’t use data often or at all. For $20 you get 400 minutes, $.15 per text message, and $1.50 per MB. At $30 you get 1500 minutes and texts and 30MB included. For $40 you get unlimited talk and text with 50MB of data included. It’s worth noting that these are unavailale for smartphones.

Mobile broadband plans are 250MB for $5/day, 1.5GB for $25/month, and 6GB for $55/month.

PROS

Virgin remains consistent at least. Their prices haven't changed in a year.

Unlimited data.

Above average phone selection.

Mobile broadband is reasonably price for how much data you get.

Competitively priced.

CONS

Advertising Sprint LTE is like advertising that you're making a zombie movie but then you only put one zombie in it.

Ting Mobile Prepaid

Ting is perhaps one of the most interesting prepaid carriers on the list. They’re on Sprint’s nationwide 3G, call, and text network along with their 4G WiMAX. What’s interesting is that they also have Sprint’s LTE coverage as well.

Plan details:

Here’s how Ting works. Everything is in t-shirt sizes from XS to XL for minutes, messaging, and data. Even more interesting is that you pay for what you use so you can kind of meta-game your monthly plan. Here’s how it works. If you use between 501 and 1000 minutes, you’ll be charged for the L minutes package. Minutes packages range from $0 for no usage to $35 for up to 2100 minutes. Messages range from $0 for no usage to $11 for up to 4800. Data is $0 for no usage to $29 for up to 2GB.

If you go over the max, you’ll be charged $0.019 per minute, $0.0025 per text (4 texts for 1 cent), and $0.015 per MB.

PROS

Unique 'pay for what you use' model lets people save money on stuff they don't usually use.

LTE coverage is available.

You can bring your own Sprint device.

The lowest plan available is $6 and that's if you use nothing. Perfect for military people going overseas who don't want to turn their phone off.

Unique savings calculator lets you see if you'd save money on Ting and will actually tell you if you can't.

CONS

No unlimited data.

Phone offerings are slim.

2100 minutes, 4800 texts, and 2GB is $81. There are plans on here that can do better than that.

MetroPCS Prepaid

MetroPCS is actually owned by T-Mobile and you’d think that would mean they run on T-Mobile’s network. You would be wrong. MetroPCS actually runs its own CDMA network totally independent of the major 4 carriers which is probably why T-Mobile bought them to begin with.

Plan details:

MetroPCS has 3 plans and they all include unlimited talk, text, and throttled data. For $40/month you get 500MB of high speed web before you get throttled. $50/month gets you 2.5GB and $60 is unlimited. At this time we found no evidence of their unlimited being throttled although we’re sure that it can be if you go nuts with it.

PROS

Not an MVNO, they are their own network.

LTE is available.

Aside from T-Mobile, MetroPCS is the only other carrier with truly unlimited data (for now).

Some recent Samsung flagships available.

Competitively priced.

CONS

Samsung is not the only OEM that makes good smartphones.

Their CDMA network is scheduled to be decommissioned. Weak.

While very decent, their coverage map is smaller than the other 4 big carriers.

7.5

If MetroPCS looks like something you’d like to try, check out their official website.

Cricket Wireless

Fun fact: Cricket Wireless used to be called AIO and it’s an MVNO that runs off of AT&T’s network. It’s one of the newer networks on this list as it’s about a year old.

Plan details:

Cricket Wireless has some really simple plans. All plans come with unlimited talk and text along with unlimited throttled data. For $40/month you get 500MB of LTE data, $50/month gets you 2.5GB, and $60 gets you 5GB. If you use the auto-pay credit, all those prices are reduced by $5 per month.

They also have a $25/month plan that is just unlimited talk and text.

For $10/month you can add 1GB of data. For $15/month you can add full international calling and texting features. For $7/month you can get phone insurance.

PROS

Competitive pricing.

AT&T LTE and coverage is pretty decent.

Unlimited (albeit throttled) data.

Bring your own phone if you have an AT&T, unlocked, or international device.

$5 off per month using the auto pay credit can save you $60 per year.

Unlimited international texting (but not MMS).

Better than AT&T and you're using AT&T's service anyway.

CONS

Phones they sell are midrange at best.

When you add data, what data you don't use expires at the end of the month.

Cricket Passport, Protect, and the 1GB data add ons can quickly nickel and dime you to a much more expensive plan.

7.5

If you live in a test market and want to give Cricket Wireless a shot, check out their official website.

So which of these prepaid plans are the best?

In our latest revision of this list, we have added numerical ratings for each carrier. If you wanna know which ones we think are the best, just take a look at the rating!

What are the up and coming prepaid carriers?

A lot of prepaid carriers are making huge changes. PlatinumTel, SIMple Mobile, Simple Talk, Republic Wireless, Cricket Wireless, and T-Mobile have made the biggest splashes in the prepaid world so far this year. Keep an eye on them because that’s where it’s at.

Are there any mobile services we should avoid?

You should avoid Ready Mobile at all costs. We probably shouldn’t have included them on this list but it’s better that we do so we can warn you as opposed to you finding them on your own. In terms of avoidance, there really aren’t any other bad carriers on this list. Take a good, hard look at your real usage from month to month and make your determination that way. These plans try to appeal to the lowest common denominator and if you’re not a part of that demographic, you will not be happy with your service. For instance, Ting is really cheap if you don’t use a lot of data. If you use a lot of data, Ting turns out to be one of the most expensive on this list!

The Best Phones for Prepaid Plans

Stay tuned, we will update this section soon with a link to our best phones for prepaid plans. Until then, check out the Moto X, Moto E, and Nexus 5 which are available on most carriers. Also, try using sites like eBay and Swappa to find used phones for lower prices. You can typically pick up a phone from last year’s flagship line up for half the retail cost.

Prepaid Monthly Updates

As the world of mobile technology moves at lightning quick speeds, we will be updating this as frequently as possible. So check back every month to see if there are any new deals or rate changes. Also, if there is a new wireless carrier that we don’t have on the list or an old favorite we missed, leave us a comment and let us know. We’ll check them out!

The release of the Moto X came and went, but another project Motorola has been working on is just now starting to gain some traction. It’s called the Motorola DVX and it’s a low-cost variant of the Moto X. Last week, the Motorola DVX passed through the FCC and appears to be on its way to prepaid carriers in the United States as well as emerging markets. The time frame for release is the end of the year, which is a mere few months away.

Here is what we know about the Motorola DVX right now.

Multiple sources claim the Motorola DVX is being made to undercut everyone in terms of price.

It should look and operate at least a little bit like the Moto X, since it’s being touted as a low cost version of the X.

There are rumors circulating that the Motorola DVX will also have swappable back plates.

Aside from the photo above and the rumors, not much else is known about the Motorola DVX. There are some interesting rumors regarding the price, however. Phone Arena reports that pricing for the Motorola DVX can already be found on some UK sites. They tend to range from £137.29 to £155.98 or about $214US to $243US. These are off-contract, unlocked prices.

Those are competitive prices, but the question will be the specs. Currently, you can grab a Nexus 4 at $199US. Without postulating too much, we’re just going to say that it’s going to be tough for Motorola to compete with that. As always, we’d love to hear your opinion. Can the Motorola DVX be successful in emerging markets and prepaid carriers? Let us know in the comments.

Ting has been doing some unique stuff with their plans lately, by deciding to do away with plans altogether.

If you’re anything like most consumers, then you’re attracted by all the glitz and glamor associated with only paying an upfront fee of $99, $149, or even $199. You might think, well, I’m going to need a phone anyway, so why not have the carrier pay for it – right?

Ting’s business model represents a bold change of pace from a company that more people should probably know about. And we come to you, in the spirit of transparency, and because we live to serve you, our readers. Are Ting’s plans actually a good deal? Let’s find out.

The Ting Model

Select as little or as much as you need.

Ting has a set pricing guide based on how much of their service you use. Like t-shirt sizes, they range from XS to XXL. An example of this is if you use only 100 minutes, that’s a Small. If you use 1000 minutes, that’s a Large. There are sizes for talk, text, and data.

Say in the month of June you use 500 minutes. Your bill would come in and would show that you used the medium package for 500 minutes and would be charged the Medium rate. Assume then, in July, that there was a wedding in your family, so you ended using 2000 minutes. On that bill, you’d be charged their XL package rate. There are similar models for texting and data. According to their official blog, their $6 per line surcharge remains unchanged.

It’s definitely unique. Instead of trying to sign a contract with a carrier and choose a plan you have to stay within the confines of, you instead use your phone however you want and simply pay only for what you use. So if you have a month of light usage, your bill will be less. If you have a month where you use quite heavily, you’ll pay more. It’s a really good system and some would argue that this is how phone service should be anyway. After all, why pay for services you don’t use, right?

So we come to the biggest question of them all. Will this model result in better prices? Below, we’ll list a few examples of some typical usage with the bigger carriers and see what kind of deals people have the potential to get from Ting. If you’d rather look than read, we’ve posted a comparison graphic below.

User Profiles

To help you identify what might be the best deal for you, we’ve created different usage profiles. Which one best fits your usage profile?

User Profile

Minutes

Texts

Data (MB)

Ms. Talk

2000

500

500

Mr. Text

450

3000

750

Mrs. Data

450

1000

5000

Mr. Average User

900

1200

1500

Mr. Power User

2500

2500

5000

Ting – A comparison

Ms. Talk

Ms. Talk - 2000 minutes, 500 texts, 500MB data

Best Deal

Ting

XL minutes, Medium texts, Medium data

$33

2nd Best

T-Mobile

Unlimited Talk, Unlimited Text, 500MB of data

$50

3rd Best

Verizon

Unlimited Minutes, Unimited Text, 2GB data

$100

4th Best

Sprint

Unlimited Everything

$109.99

Worst Deal

AT&T plan

Unlimited Minutes, Unlimited Text, 300MB data

$109.99

As we can see, Ting does very well in this particular area. There are some shockingly bad deals out there, so be sure to avoid them if you’re a heavy talker.

Mr. Text

Mr. Text - 450 minutes, 3000 texts, 750MB data

Best Deal

Ting

Medium minutes, XL texts, Large data

$50

2nd Best

T-Mobile

Unlimited talk and text, 2GB data

$60

3rd Best

AT&T

450 minutes, Unlimited Messages, 3GB data

$89.99

4th Best

Verizon

Unlimited talk and text, 2GB of data

$100

Worst Deal

Sprint

450 minutes, unlimited talk and data

$109.99

For those with an affinity for texting, Ting’s offerings shines brightest here as the best deal. It’s becoming clearer at this point that if you’re not crazy about data, and use voice and text more heavily, then Ting is going to be a great deal.

Ting for Mrs. Data

Mrs Data - 450 minutes, 1000 texts, 5GB data

Best Deal

T-Mobile

Unlimited Everything + (plus 500MB of hotspot data)

$70

2nd Best

Sprint

450 minutes, Unlimited text and data

$79.99

3rd Best

AT&T

450 minutes, Unlimited messages, 5GB data

$109.99

4th Best

Verizon

Unlimited talk and text, 4GB a month

$120

Worst Deal

Ting

Medium talk and text, XXL data + 2000MB * $.0025 per MB

$125

At this level, T-Mobile’s plan presents the best deal, with unlimited everything for $70 per month. Ting is not great for data users. Because the largest data package they offer is 3GB, means that data addicts will not be satisfied. For our Mrs. Data user profile, there will be 2GB of overage, which adds on a nice $45 to an already expensive bill. T-Mobile and Sprint are close here, with T-Mobile winning out with its unlimited everything plan.

Ting for Mr Average User

Mr Average User - 900 minutes, 1200 texts, 1.5GB data

Best Deal

T-Mobile

unlimited talk and text, 2GB a month

$60

2nd Best

Ting

Large talk, Large text, XL data

$74

3rd Best

Sprint

900 minutes, unlimted text and data

$99.99

4th Best

Verizon

Unlimited talk and text, 2GB data

$100

Worst Deal

AT&T

900 minutes, unlimited messages, 3GB data

$109.99

T-mobile’s best fit is unlimited talk, unlimited text, and 2GB a month for $60 per month. It’s a very well structured plan that offers ‘average’ users the best deal. Verizon and AT&T are pushing the envelope here – anything above $75 is far too much money to pay for this amount of voice, data and texts.

Ting for Mr. Power User

Mr Power User - 2500 minutes, 2500 texts, 5GB data

Best Deal

T-Mobile

Unlimited everything

$70

2nd Best

Sprint

Unlimited everything

$109.99

3rd Best

Verizon

Unlimited talk and text, 6GB of data

$120

4th Best

AT&T

Unlimited talk and text, 5GB of data

$139.99

Worst Deal

Ting

3000 minutes, 4000 texts, 3GB data + 2GB overage @ 0.025/MB

$154

In what emerges as a trend, T-Mobile takes the cake for best deal, here, and keeps it equally easy with unlimited everything at $70 per month. As we’ve seen several times now, Ting is not a good value for heavy data users, coming in at a whopping $154 for 2500 minutes, 2500 texts, and 5GB data.

So what carrier is best for each type of user?

User Profile

Minutes

Texts

Data (MB)

Best Deal

Ms. Talk

2000

500

500

Ting @ $33

Mr. Text

450

3000

750

Ting @ $50

Mrs. Data

450

1000

5000

T-Mobile @ $70

Mr. Average User

900

1200

1500

T-Mobile @ $60

Mr. Power User

2500

2500

5000

T-Mobile @ $70

After we added everything up, we found that pretty much everyone could benefit from Ting except power users and data users.

If you’re a heavy caller or texter who doesn’t use a lot of data, then Ting can save you a lot of money.

For instance, for frequent talkers like Ms. Talk, you could save over $70. The savings are a little less for heavy texters. However, with data usage we see a dramatic turn that shows the major 4 US carriers beating out Ting by quite a bit. Here are some more fun facts we found.

For calling and texting, Ting’s prices are way better.

For data, Ting loses to all 4 of the major US carriers.

In areas where Ting did better, people are paying the major carriers for services they do not use. For instance, Ms. Talk was forced into unlimited messages on all four major carriers, despite not needing that many.

Some plans come with “hidden features”. For instance, T-Mobile’s unlimited everything plan also comes with 500MB of hotspot data.

AT&T and Verizon were the most expensive most of the time. In 3 out of 5 lists, Verizon or AT&T were the most expensive. In the other 2, it was Ting.

There’s no doubt that Ting is definitely on the right track with this “pay for what you use” system they have in place. It’s definitely something that more carriers should implement. While their system is well thought out and great for many types of people, their prices are still behind the big carriers in a few ways. If they can come up with an unlimited data package, or perhaps offer a choice for more than 3GB of data, then that would make their offerings much more competitive, for the data heavy user subset.

Ting actually did a spreadsheet that you can find here that shows all the scenarios where Ting does better or worse. It compares prices based on bills that customers submitted.

If you are interested in checking out Ting, we have secured a $25 off discount. Just follow this link or click on the banner below.

And for you – which carrier and plan are you on? See any deals here that would save you money?

Save for Sprint, every other major US carrier has some sort of “opt out early” plan. T-Mobile kicked things off with their “Jump” offer, which was followed by AT&T’s costly “Next” scheme. Verizon was late to the game, but had a very fair showing with their “Edge” plan.

Where do we go from here, though? Are these plans really good for us, or are we still twisting in the wind with our carriers? These all take care of some of our needs, but only one option will solve them all.

Why is this happening?!

T-Mobile struck a nerve when they went with their “un-carrier” approach. Theirs was the first domino to be tipped, and the chain reaction has been poignant. What we can really take away from all of these plans is that each carrier views their customers differently, and that they probably make more money from the current business model than we’d be comfortable with.

Of the three plans on offer, T-Mobile’s is probably the most sound option, simply because their pricing is best.

Of the three plans on offer, T-Mobile’s is probably the most sound option, simply because their pricing is best. Then again, their network is the worst of the three, so you get what you pay for. AT&T is engaging in some unsettling price gouging, plain and simple. Their offering is so insulting, it’s painful to think about customers who don’t know better being coerced into that scam by AT&T employees.

With Verizon, I noted previously it was nearly perfect. Roundly criticised, I stand by that for one simple reason: Verizon has the best network in the country. The country’s largest carrier has presented a very fair “opt out” plan, void of monthly fees or hidden cost. They also have a customer base which is often frustrated about their Android update cycles, and this gives those users the chance to take off or get a new phone if they like.

Bad business

The argument has shifted as of late. What was once a desire to be able to leave a contract early has now morphed into a discussion about monthly plan cost. With all three carriers, you’ll have to sign up for a plan; one that hasn’t changed in cost, save for T-Mobile who altered their monthly pricing a bit. The other two still have the monthly plan pricing you’ll find with a subsidized plan. Many consider this to be double dipping for the price of the phone.

If Verizon dropped their plan cost slightly, but charged a monthly fee, that would put them on par with T-Mobile.

They’re right.

Verizon’s CFO has gone so far as to say they won’t be altering the monthly plan cost like T-Mobile did, and that Verizon doesn’t expect many will even opt for Edge. On the flipside to that argument, they aren’t charging a monthly fee like the others.

If Verizon dropped their plan cost slightly, but charged a monthly fee, that would put them on par with T-Mobile. By not doing so, they’ve simply not been as translucent as we would like. This doesn’t mean they’re any more devious or greedy than the rest, just that they structured that greed differently. AT&T’s avarice is pretty straightforward, and T-Mobile’s is a bit more confusing with so much broken-out line-item costs. Verizon’s rapacity is plainly obvious, but not any better than the rest.

What we want

Like we do with these plans, let’s break down the argument a bit. We wanted a way out of our two-year contracts early, without paying an early termination fee. Each carrier has done that for us, although the ETF is really just parsed out differently. Be it making sure your device is half paid for like Verizon asks, or a monthly fee for the option to leave, you’re still paying for that ETF in some way. You’re still covering the carrier’s’ financial backside, so to speak.

We wanted to save money, too, right? Well, that really doesn’t happen with any of these plans. Verizon may not discount their plans based on you paying for the device over time, but they also don’t charge a monthly fee for the thrill of being able to opt-out. T-Mobile discounted their rates, but the monthly fee probably makes up for that. AT&T is, well, AT&T.

The solution

The carriers have taken care of some of our needs, as we now have the option to leave early. What they didn’t address was cost associated with doing so, but are we really surprised? Verizon alone has a near 50% profit margin, so why upset the apple cart? With the others charging a monthly fee for their various new schemes, the parity among the major carriers still exists, it just looks different.

If you want to own your device, be slave to no carrier master, have the option to come and go as you please, and save money, there is an answer. This option been there all along, but we’re reluctant to bite the bullet due to upfront cost. We should probably come to the understanding that carriers will never look out for our overall best interest, and it’s time we dignify that with a response.

In a cellphone carrier market where high-profile acquisitions and the ready exchange of billions in cash are almost commonplace, AT&T’s $1.19 billion purchase of Leap Wireless – known better as Cricket to most – doesn’t seem that surprising. With yesterday’s buy, the network giant hopes to both expand its prepaid programs and augment its 4G LTE footprint.

The prepaid cellphone market, once relegated to inflexible plans and cheap devices on big carriers like AT&T, has now become the focal point of national networks’ new strategies. T-Mobile acquired a prepaid provider of its own – MetroPCS – in May, and has been extolling the virtues of prepaid plans since the carrier unleashed its “uncarrier” ad blitz earlier this year. Sprint has made moves, including the purchase of Virgin Mobile and Boost, to boost its prepaid portfolio in recent years. Even Verizon, arguably the least outwardly enthusiastic about the shift to prepaid, has taken steps to increase the attractiveness of its offerings. AT&T’s buy, then, makes sense from a competitive standpoint. AT&T will gain nearly 5 million prepaid customers from the sale.

Though Leap’s customer base is an inarguable boost to AT&T’s prepaid subscriber base, the network giant has a lot more to gain from Leap’s network spectrum. Leap’s existing infrastructure is nothing to scoff at: the carrier has deployed LTE to 11 markets covering 21 million people. However, the Leap’s PCS and AWS are capable of far more. In an interview with FierceWireless last year, Leap CEO Doug Hutcheson said a substantial amount of the carrier’s spectrum – 60 percent – had yet to be used. That could help AT&T rapidly build out 4G service in a number of locations.

It’s not all roses and rainbows for AT&T. The network’s Leap buy faces a few hurdles, both legal and technological. The deal is certain to face regulatory scrutiny, as AT&T’s relative size and previous attempted purchase place the network in a difficult position. Advocacy group Fress Press opposes the deal, which it believes will limit consumer choice and lead to higher prices. Of lesser (but still valid) concern is network incompatibility. Cricket’s 3G uses CDMA, while AT&T’s GSM. It’s unclear how AT&T plans to transition customers to its network technology. One thing’s for certain, though: AT&T has a lot to gain from the purchase of Leap, and will do everything in its power to convince governing bodies and the public that the acquisition is in everyone’s best interest. How successful the carrier will be in that endeavor remains to be seen.

If you don’t talk on your mobile phone much, but like to use apps, navigation, or any other kind of data-absorbing functions, you know how important a good data plan is. What if we told you that you could pay about $30/month for unlimited data, with the first 5GB at top speeds? Now we’re talking!

The Consumerist recently highlighted the low-cost plan, so we thought it was a good opportunity to let everyone know how to get it. The monthly plan is for 100 minutes of talk, with unlimited data and text. This is great for data hogs who may not need to chat much. Data consumption with decreased talk minutes are increasingly the need of many users, which is why we see data sharing plans from carriers like Verizon.

Keep in mind, this is on the T-Mobile network, which may not be the best in your area. We suggest using Open Signal Maps before considering any new plan, as it will give you a detailed map of which carriers and what service works best in your area.

Finding the plan

On a personal note, this is the plan I have, and can say it is a really nice option for me. I make most calls at home, via Google Talk (I have kept Google talk alive in Gmail until Hangouts can make calls). I rarely make phone calls on my phone, so 100 minutes of talk per month is fine for me. I do use navigation quite a bit when out and about, and also subscribe to All Access on Play Music.

Finding the plan can be tricky, as T-Mobile doesn’t make it immediately noticeable. To find it, you’ll need to visit T-Mobile’s prepaid site, which is also not easy to locate from their main site. After you find the landing page, you’ll see a header of “Unlimited talk + text + web plans”. Tucked at the bottom of that little box, you’ll see a “Browse plans” link. Once you click that, you’re on your way.

After navigating to that page, you’ll see a listing for the plan. There is no way to select it, but if you navigate back towards the top of that page, you’ll see the header “Get Started”. Under that, there will be the option to shop for phones, or bring your own device. This is the turning point.

A few years ago the word “prepaid” had a near-taboo connotation in the United States, especially when it came to cellular devices. Carriers like Straight Talk have helped change this image, as has the release of the LG Nexus 4 and T-Mobile’s recent push of its “uncarrier” strategy.

The big carriers are having a harder time getting us locked into contracts, which is why Verizon recently unveiled its own no-contract, device payment option. It’s also likely why AT&T is believed to be creating a new prepaid cell service under its existing “All in One” brand.

What makes the new prepaid service different from their current GoPhone offering? Much more aggressive rates, for starters.

According to a report from Fierce Wireless, AT&T’s new plans will launch on June 15th with limited testing in Florida and Texas beginning later this month. The report indicates that the terms and pricing are still subject to change.

If all goes as it is should, there will be a feature plan for $35 and a smartphone plan starting at $50.

For the feature plan, AT&T will provide unlimited talk, text and an unspecified amount of limited data. The $50 smartphone plan will also provide unlimited talk and text, with 2GB mobile data. If that’s not enough data for ya, a $70 version will bring that cap up to 5GB.

Not bad AT&T, not bad at all.

How does the new plan compare to other major carriers? Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T’s GoPhone service all currently provide unlimited talk and text for $60. T-Mobile gives you 2.5GB of data, GoPhone provides 1GB, and Verizon has just 500MB. Of course your cheapest route is still going to be with an MNVO like Straight Talk ($45, unlimited).

Right now we can’t say for sure if AT&T plans to replace its GoPhone plan with the new “All in One” option, or if both services will co-exist. What do you think, if the new AT&T prepaid plan is as good as it seems, would you be interested?

Source: Fierce Wireless, Image Source: mrbill/Flickr;]]>http://www.androidauthority.com/att-new-prepaid-plans-202654/feed/9T-Mobile purportedly removing its postpaid offerings from Target, prepaid will continue onhttp://www.androidauthority.com/t-mobile-target-postpaid-plans-167388/
http://www.androidauthority.com/t-mobile-target-postpaid-plans-167388/#commentsFri, 08 Mar 2013 18:32:55 +0000http://www.androidauthority.com/?p=167388According to a post put up by TmoNews Thursday evening, T-Mobile has decided to drop its postpaid offerings with Target. Starting April 7, you will no longer be able to find T-Mobile postpaid offerings in any of Target’s stores.

On the other hand, you will be able to find prepaid offerings in all of Target’s locations, so the carrier isn’t dropping Target entirely. T-Mobile needs as much presence out of its own stores as possible, for competition’s sake. Dropping Target entirely would be a very bad business move for the carrier. Postpaid offerings aren’t going away yet though, TmoNews says T-Mobile is “aggressively” looking for another retail partner to house its postpaid offerings.

What is the difference between T-Mobile’s postpaid and prepaid plans?

Now, this really is not a big deal since T-Mobile is looking to become the “uncarrier”. T-Mobile has said numerous times that they’d like to get rid of its postpaid offerings, which is also commonly referred to as a contract. The difference between postpaid offerings and prepaid offerings is that postpaid offerings often come with either a low-end phone or a subsidized smartphone. Postpaid offerings can be broken up into payments.

Prepaid offerings, which is commonly referred to pay-as-you-go, can not be broken up into payments. Prepaid offerings are like a credit. You purchase your own phone in full and then you pay for its service in advance. At that point you will get to use the service until the credit is used up. As you can see, there is a stark difference between postpaid and prepaid. In other words, T-Mobile getting rid of its postpaid plans from Target isn’t a big deal, really.

No doubt we’ll be seeing more of this as T-Mobile looks to become the “uncarrier”. In fact, it would not be very surprising if we saw T-Mobile start dropping some of its postpaid offerings. After all, some of its prepaid plans are getting really cheap.

Have you been holding off from buying that long-desired Nexus 4 as you wait for a better deal? Well, online retailer LetsTalk has something you’re looking for: the Google Nexus 4 for just $84.99. That price even becomes lower when you enter the coupon code “TALK4TEN”.

The deal is for the Google Nexus 4 on T-Mobile, which either new or existing customers of the carrier can apply and choose between individual and family accounts. The estimate price starts at $84.99 and can go as high as $549.99 when you are applying only for a replacement phone (ergo, no changes in contract). The code “TALK4TEN” provides a 10% discount, which means the $84.99 price is reduced to just $76.50 on-contract.

The code, which saves as much as $25 in a deal, is also usable for other phones the online wireless retailer is selling such as Samsung Galaxy S3 and DROID Incredible. LetsTalk also offers free overnight shipping.

Deals as cheap as this often have some catch or hidden conditions, so always read the contract and necessary documents before signing up. If whatever agreement the contract demands does not suit you, perhaps buying the phone at the Google Play Store and pairing it with an affordable prepaid plan is the more practical choice.

Released on November, the LG Nexus 4 has become so popular among consumers that Google underestimated the demand, causing stocks in various countries to run out every now and then. Fortunately, both LG and Google seem to have fixed the issues the phone suffered from since launched.